Near-field communication (NFC) includes a set of communication protocols that enable electronic devices, such as a mobile device and a contactless card, to wirelessly communicate information. NFC devices may be used in contactless payment systems, similar to those used by contactless credit cards and electronic ticket smartcards. In addition to payment systems, NFC-enabled devices may act as electronic identity documents and keycards, for example.
A contactless device (e.g., card, tag, transaction card or the like) may use NFC technology for bi-directional or uni-directional contactless short-range communications based on, for example, radio frequency identification (RFID) standards, an EMV standard, or using NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) tags, for example. The communication may use magnetic field induction to enable communication between powered electronic devices, including mobile wireless communications devices and unpowered, or passively powered, devices such as a transaction card. In some applications, high-frequency wireless communications technology enables the exchange of data between devices over a short distance, such as only a few centimeters, and two devices may operate most efficiently in certain placement configurations.
While the advantages of using an NFC communication channel for contactless card transactions are many, including simple set up and low complexity, one difficulty faced by NFC data exchanges may be difficulty transmitting a signal between devices with small antennas, including contactless cards. Movement of the contactless card relative to the device during an NFC exchange may undesirably impact the received NFC signal strength at the device and interrupt the exchange. In additions, features of the card, for example metal cards, may cause noise, dampen signal reception, or other reflections that erroneously trigger NFC read transactions. For systems that use contactless cards for authentication and transaction purposes, delays and interruption may result in lost transactions and customer frustration.